Biomarkers for predicting the prognosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: A retrospective single-center study

The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the association between preoperative serological and clinical indicators and postoperative recovery in patients who had undergone resection of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). We collected data form the medical records of patients who underwent operations for the treatment of ICC at Qingdao University Affiliated Hospital from 2015 to 2021. We analyzed the data to explore the independent predictors of disease prognosis after surgery for ICC. By univariate analysis, we found that the following factors were significantly associated with overall survival and tumor-free survival in patients with ICC: TNM stage; degree of vascular invasion; levels of hemoglobin, carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 125, direct bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, and albumin; prothrombin time; neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio; prothrombin time to albumin ratio; albumin to alkaline phosphatase ratio; albumin to gamma-glutamyl transferase ratio; prognostic nutrition Index, and incisional margin. However, only carbohydrate antigen 24-2 and glutamyl transpeptidase were correlated with overall survival in patients with ICC. However, only a positive history of biliary surgery was significantly associated with tumor-free survival in patients with ICC. Preoperative prothrombin time, vascular invasion, N-stage, incisal edge, and carcinoembryonic antigen levels may be simple predictors of disease progression in ICC after hepatectomy.